Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1889 — THE SOLDIERS’ DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SOLDIERS’ DAY

THE CORNER STONE IS LAID WITH IMPOSING CERE* MONIES. A Very Large Attendance of the People of tho 6tate—A Parade of Soldiery of Groat Length—Tho Programme and Particulars of ah Interesting Brent. The corner stone of Indiana pro posed Soldiers cand Sailors’ Monument was laid at Indianapolis Thursday. Every train towards the city bore hundreds of soldiers and citizens, and by 12 o’clock thd streets were seething masses of humanity, good natured, sober and patriotic. There probably never were sore visitors in the city in one day. The procession required an hour to pass a given point., and wai composed of no less than 5000 people. Gen. l Harrison was a prominent figure in one of the carriages. The crowd at the monument site was impenetrable. President of the Monument Commission George LangsJ dale, Esq., made a brief statement of the origin of the monument movement, and closed with the following observations: | “On the 27th day oQJanuary, 1889, the commission adopted a design for a monu J ment 269 feet in hight, the building of which has progressed to the point witnessed by you; and we are now assembled . to put its corner-stone in place, to thaT* ■tone a receptacle has been provided ini

w'.iich a copper box will be deposited containing the records of the commission, of the great army which subdued the rebellJ ion, and of the peaceful organizations) that have sprung fi*om it since. Contrary to the custom, the monument is not erected' to an individual, and no man’s name will 1 pppear upon it; but it is erected in honor of the citizen soldiers and sailors of the' State who gave their lives for the preserJ vation of our liberties, the maintenance of the government and the vindication of na J tional honor. And as men of every creed! and color, and every political faith and practice were true to their country in the hour of her peril, and shed their blood for the protection, so, too, every man in the* State who has worn the national uniform can join hands round this monument and 1 feel that in its building not one thing has! been done whioh will in the slightest degree wound his tenderest feelings, whether they relate to religion or politics, or critic cise his condition, whether rich or poor.! Here every soldier will meet with comrades on a spot which he knows is sacred to him and the cause for which he fought, “If completed according to design this monument will be the noblest structure on the continent, and there will be purely soldiers’ monument in the world its equal. It will teach the lesson that it is 1 an honor to suffer and die for one’s country, and that self-sacrifice is not without its reward. It will testify to all beholders that the brightest page in the history of the State is the record of its valor and that if will never be forgotten; and it will inculcate a spirit of loyalty and devotion and inspire .a courage , which wili ba the best guaranty for the preservatioru-oftbopeacerand happiness of the people. Commander of the Department of Indiana Grand Army of the Republic, on behalf of the Commissioners, I now ask you to deposit your records with those of tho Woman’s Relief Corps and the Sons of Veterans in the casket, which you will then put in its place, after which wo assign you the duty of setting the corner-stone.” The crowd watched in silence the laying of the corner-stone by Chas. M. Travis,. Department Commander of the Indiana Department, G. A. R. The documents, were consigned to their resting place, and then the stone was placed in position id accordance with the ritual of the G. A. R.' In performing the ritual rites Con|mander Travis was assisted by tho officers of the Department, and by the Presidents respectively of the Sons of Veterans and thei Woman’s Relief Corps. When tho stone, had been placed in position the national! flag was raised, and the “Star Spangled Banner” sung by Mrs. Zelda Seguin-Wul-, lace. The imposing ceremony, which was too far within the scaffolding to be clearly appreciated by all, ended with the firing of a salute. Speaking from the platform was then resumed. Governor Hovey, as the presiding officei’ of the occasion made a brief address Hoi said: “We have assembled to-day to celebrate the laying of the corner-stone of the monument dedicated to the soldiers and sailors ofthe State of Indiana. “Monuments are the evidence of thei earliest labor and art of man. Throughout urope, Asia, Africa and America they am found scattered without even a legend td tell of the cause of their erection. Thd simple mound of earth, the cairn, the pyraJ mids, still stand the ravages of untold centum*, whilst the shaft, the obelisk, tha Pantheon, and many other remains of cultivated art meet the eye in almost every JB^t.of. ..the civilised world. “They have, no doubt, been built to commemorato great events, or to glorify and wtlsfy the pride, pomp and vanity of con, Jews, lungs and emperors. Few.lfW will be found in any age or country whlcl L a ™^! D .! rectod r trtbutea <* *****« race °* Vs 1r toying of the corner-stone,for whicl Wb dee assembled, In the Soldiers’ and ft ‘*tii. . '* '

| (Sailors’ Monument, is intended to confer 8 j lasting honor on all who have served oaf country from the fisst Tm»*» war withia the State to those who had the great honof to participate in the suppression of the latd I grand and terrible rebellion. It will b« the monument of Indiana’s heroic men, 11 v* fng or dead. * * “The losses on both sides during the waz Would not fall short of two millions by bat> j tie and disease, and to-day of all that vast host of combatants who marched to the field there are probably not exceeding twq bullions, North and South, who are now living. * * ’ The late rebellion has left us one people, one consolidated cation has torn the shackles off of more than lour millions of people, who are not* enjoying all the rights of freemen, and hag Wiped out forever in the United States the' bame of ‘slave.- 1 — ———— “Out of the vast number of soldiers sent jpy this State there are now remaining only about 50,000, and it would be safe to saj| that of that number at least 40,000 are auf. sering with disease and broken constitutions, caused by severe service in the field.’ pf all those who were engaged in the act-1 Ive service, few will be found whose! health has not been shattered, and whose! lives have not been shortened from ten to fifteen years. The list of mortality since the close of the war fully sustains this assertion. “It seems to me that no duty could bo more honorable or imperative than for our nation to shield and protect our heroes in' their declining years, and our-veterans should command their representatives iri bongress to no longer delay this sacred' My- , “What a volume the history of the soldiers of Indiana would make 1 Romance! and fiction would palo when compared with their heroic and chivalric deeds. PriJ

rations, hardships and sufferings that no pen can describe have been borne by the brave men whose services we are now honoring by the erection of this beautiful monument. Well may our people be proud of their sons and perpetuate their glorious, deeds, and may the sons of our veterans’ learn a great and solemn lesson from the patriotism and devotion of their fathers.' Our people through coming generations Will gaze on this magnificent memento with emotions of pa r otism and pride. ” A song, “Dedication,” written for thq occasion by Charles hi Walker, of the Jour | nal, was sung, the chorus assisting.

General M. D. Manson, of Crawfordsville » hero of two wars, was then presented.! He spoke eloquently as follows: “No country on earth can justly lay higher tlaims to the devotion, valor and patriotism of her citizens than tho United! States. 35 the early struggles of the settlers of our Territories, there were shown »cts of daring and feats of valor whicl.! make the histories of those times read like! romances. When it has been found neceslary to go to war, in order to settle any luestion which caused differences to justify such action, the demands of the occasionhave always been fully and completely met by our people. To defend tho flag from 1 foreign foes and teach the world to respect Dur country’s rights has always been our proud claim. * * When on the 15th day Df April, 1861, the sad news was telegrai>h-' »d over the country that the American flag bad been fired upon and the blood of Ameri-' tan citizen shed on American soil, the people were aroused all over the land. The young and old, the rich and poor, the greatand small—all Indianians knew there was s great wrong perpetrated and determined that it should be righted. With one voico they registered a vow In heaven to maintain the unity of the States, the rights of the people, the supremacy of the constitution, the honor and dignity of the flag. * * During the French revolution and in 1791. at a time when it is said to have been contended by the medical profession that a! weak, enfeebled and dying person mighJ be restored by the transfusion of bloodfrom the veins of a healthy and vigorous person, an immense audience was assem. bled, and during the delivery before that audience o i an oiajiuii, oy one ox ine'iiiost re*-, markable statesmen of history, all of a sudden he fell prostrate to the earth and the ru ‘ mor ran through the vast assembly of thei people—who were hanging on his utterances > as the stroke of divinity—“that Mirabeauj was dying for the want of blood.” A yoilny and enthusiastic Frenchman threw off his coat, laid bare his arms and rushed through) the astonished and breathless crowd, crying; “Oh, take! Oh, take my blood! buti let the life of the champion of the right-1 of the people be preserved!” And thud did the people of the State of Indiana' rush, at the call of the country, demand-' (ng as determinedly and as enthusi-i ostically as did that young French-] man—“Oh, -take! Oh, take our blood:} but let the life of the Nation, the unity of•jtates and the flag of the country be pre-j Served!” Scarcely had the notes of alarmbeen received by our people, whan the (‘resident of the United States called for 15,000 soldiers, to execute the laws and protect the rights of the oitizens. Indi-j ina’s quota of the call for troops was less than 5,000 men. That great war governor; and patriotic citizen of Indiana, Olivep P.' Morton, called upon tho people of the State for sixty companies of troops, and in fortyeight hours that call was responded to by more than a sufficient number of men to make up the full complement These sixty s companies were immediately organized into six regiments. Indiana had finished five regiments during tho Mexican war, and to avoid confusion and keep up the military record of the State in numerical order, the new regiments were numbered, beginning at the point arrived a» with tho close of tho war with Mexico Tho Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Regiments, therefore, became a part of the military history of the State. . “This monument, now being erected ..id the State of Indiana, in pursuance with a a,„l ia fu! accord with the feelings and wishes of all her people—tho placing of whose cornerstonfe is so justly made tho occasion of such p-aml ceremony and patriotic demonstra- . rtOTI - J 8 to perpetuate, through all time’ .the memory of the patriotism, Courage and valor of all the soldiers and Sailors'fro™

hnd State in which her citizens as soldien and sailors have participated. ' '• * * * ■ { “Permit me to ask all within the sound oi my voice to view for just an instant, the greatness of this occasion. Lei your mind* be occupied for a moment only, with the /grandeur and glory of the position 6f oul own Indiana in the great galaxy of States. This day she has made it possible, through a solemn enactment of our legislature, to have laid the corner Btone of a great monument, whose splendid abafl. t.hnngh it fierce the clouds, cannot rise higher than her position among the States of the United States. “Now in the presence of this vast assembly of comrades and citizens, Comrade penjamin Harrison, late a resident and soldier of our State, and now the honored President of the United States, who has ' honored this occasion with his presence—let me say that I hope and trust Indiana inay always have glorious sons in the future, as she has had in the past, who will readily and willingly vindicate her honor, and tho honor and glory of the United States, on every battle field and in every battle that may be fought inthiscountry to maintain the principles of civil and constitutional liberty during tall the ages to tome." * j “Hail Columbia” came in at>Dro_priatelv acre, sang Dy a quartette, with the chorus and bands-assistlutf. - - ~~~r— Gen. John Coburn also delivered an address. Gen. Harrison, was then formally presented to the assembled host, who cheereq him with great vigor. Col. Geo. W. Harvey, of Danville, Commander of the Sons of Veterans, also delivered a briof address. President Harri, •on spoko as follows:

“Mr. President and Fellow Citizens—l did not expect to make any address on this occasion. It would have been pi pagan 1 1 jf A could have found leisure-to make suitable preparation, to have accepted the invitation of the committee having these exercises in charge, to deliver an oration. I would have felt it an honor to associate my name with an occasion so great as this. IPublic duties, however, prevented the ao* ceptance of the invitation, and I could only promise to be present with you to-day. It Beemed to me most appropriate that I should take part with my fellow-citizens of Indiana in this great ceremony. There fiavo been few occasions in the history of our State so full of interest, so magnificent, so inspiring, as that which we now witness. The suggestion that a monument should be builded to commemorate the valor and heroism of those soldiers of Indiana who gave their livos for the flag, attracted my interest frour the beginning. Five years ■go last January, when the people assembled in dhe opera house yonder to unveil the statue which had been worthily set up to our great war Governor, I ventured to express the hope that near by it, as a twin expression of one great sentiment, there might be builded a noble shaft, not to any man, not to bear on any of its majestic” faces the name of a man, but a monument about which the sons of veterans, the mothers of our dead, the widows that are yet with us, might gather, and, pointing to the stately shaft, say: ‘There is his monu-. pent.’ The hope expressed that day is Realized now. “I congratulate the people of Indiana that our Legislature has generously met tl e expectations of our patriotic people. I congratulate the commission having this great work in charge, that they have secured a design which will not suffer under the criticism of the best artists of the world. I congratulate you that a monument so costly as to show that we value that which it commemorates, so artistic as to express jthe sentiment which evoked it, is to stand in the capital of Indiana. Does any one Bay there is wastefulness here? My countrymen, two hundred thousand dollars has never passed and never will pass from the treasury of Indiana, that will give a better return than the expenditure for the erection of this monument. As I have wit--Pgssed these, ceremonies and listened to

these-patriotie hymns, I have read in the faces of the men who stand about me that lifting up of the soul, that kindling of pa-' triotic fire that has made me realize that on such occasions the nation is laying deep and strong its future security. “This is amonument by Indiana to Indiana soldiers. But I beg you to remember that they were only soldiers of Indiana until the enlistment oath was taken; that from that hour until they came back to the generous State that had sent them forth they were soldiers of the Uuion. So that it tcomed to me not inappropriate that I phould bring to you to-day the sympathy and cheer of the loyal people of all -the States. No American citizen need avoid it or pass it with unsympathetic eyes, for, my countrymen, it does not commemorate a war of subjugation. There is not in the United day a man who,if he realiz as what has occurred since the war, and has opened his soul to the sight of that which (s to come, who will not feel that it is good for ail our people that victory crowned the cause which this monument commemorates. Ido seriously believe that if we can measure, among the States, the benefit resulting from the preservation of the Union, the rebellious States have the larger share. It destroyed an institution that was their Eeatruction. It opened the way for a comlerciol life that, if they will only embrace ft, and the light, means to them a development that shall rival the best attainments of the greatest of our States. “And now let me thank you for your pleasant greeting. I have felt lifted up by bhis occasion. It seems to me that our spirits have been borne up to meet those of ilia dead and glorified, and that from this , place we shall go to our homes more resolutely set in our purpose as citizens to conserve the peace and welfare of our neighborhoods, to hold up the dignity and honoi of our free institutions, and to see that no dmrm shall come to our country, whethei ■from internal dissensions or from the aggressions of a foreign foe.” To judgtf from the way in which mis- | plumed affections now find expression. thS'phbgs 6t unrequited loyp are evi dently shooting paftifl.: * * ’‘ : ’ " W ■'■M Tho hahtfraan is anoci?spoft at Jut trade- - “ i

THE MONUMENT.